Follower for filing devices



Feb. 27, 1934. B G RAND 1,948,935

FOLLOWER FORl FILING DEVICES Filed April 14, 1931 y 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 27, 1934. B; G RAND 1,948,935

FOLLOWER FOR FILING DEVICES Filed April 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jn/vanto@ Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l 1,948,935 roLLoWER For. FILING DEVICES Benjamin G. Rand, North Tonawanda, N. Y., assigner to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo,

Application April 14, 1931. Serial No. 530,106

' 13 Claims. (Cl. 129-28) plate, and contains a pair of latch members nor- Y mally projected apart by suitable resilient means so that the ends will engage in openings in the sides of the drawer adjacent the track members or other retaining devices to lock the follower in a fixed position of adjustment. The follower assembly is also provided with supporting and guide brackets having track engaging sections extending laterally of the follower plate beyond the ends thereof, and provided with arms extending inwardly and suitably secured in the ends of the housing formed on the follower plate, in order to support the follower plate in such a manner that it is freely slidable along the guide members on the sides of the drawer without catching or binding in operation.

In the drawings showing one embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 shows a drawer in perspective with the improved follower construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the drawer showing the follower assembly in rear elevation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the housing of the followerillustrating the details of construction of the mounting for the latches.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken -on lineh5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is asectonal view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 shows one of the supporting and guide brackets in perspective with a fragment of the follower plate in disassembled relation.

The drawer 1 is provided with the usual bottom 2, rear wall 3, side walls 4 and with the drawer Vfront construction 5 all of which may be constructed and assembled in any manner well known in the art.

The upper edges of side walls 4 are provided With outwardly offset portions 6 embraced by sheet metal track members 7 formed of strips of sheet metal extending around the offset portions 6 and having their edges abutting the laterally extending portions 8 which connect the offset portions 6 with the remaining portions of side walls 4. These'track members 7 are rigide.

ly secured in this manner, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 to the side walls of the drawer and form guide members for slidably mounting the follower structure.

The follower structure includes a follower plate 9 having a flat body portion 10 that may extend substantially vertical in the drawer, as illustrated in Fig. 1.` The upper edge of plate 9 is provided with a laterally extending portion ll terminating in a depending fiange 12 over- 7.

construction but with their corresponding parts reversed in position so they may be mounted in opposed relation at opposite ends of the follower plate.

Each of the supporting and guide brackets 14 is formed of sheet metal to provide a track engaging section 15 having an elongated portion 16 provided with laterally extending flanges 17 and 18 on opposite side edges thereof coextensive with section 16. The elongated portions 16 of each guide bracket 14 engage the outer faces of track members 7, while flanges 17 and 18 engage the lower and upper edges respectively of track members 7. The flange 18 of each guide bracket has a lip 19 on its free edge extending downwardly and engaging the inner face of track member 7. This lip 19 extends from one end of flange 18 along a portion of its length and terminates short of the opposite end. These portions of track engaging sections 15 slidably embrace the track members 7 and effectively retain the follower structure in assembled relation on the drawer for free sliding movement on .the track members.

The portion of each flange 18 beyond the end of lip 19 is provided with a laterally extending arm 20 having flange portions 21 on opposite side edges in spaced parallel relation and provided at their free edges with a pair of supporting lips 22rextending inwardly in opposed relation, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

opposite edge in offset relation thereto and engaging the inside face of flange 12, while the central portion of the bracket extends between flange 12 and body portion 10 in parallel relation to portion 11 of follower 9. This bracket member 26 supports adjacent ends of latches 13 in the housing of follower plate 9 in operative relation with coil spring 27 disposed between handle portions 23 and normally operative to resiliently project the latches outwardly away from each other. The ends of latches 13 opposite to handles 23 extend outwardly through the ends of the housing on follower plate 9, extend through arms 20, and have finger portions 29 for engagement in openings 28 in the side walls of the drawer adjacent to track members 7. The-se latches are supported and guided adjacent finger portions 29, by lips 22, while the central portion of each latch 13 is offset laterally from the end portions as indicated at 30 in Fig. 2, so-that the outer ends of the offset portions slidably engage the under face of arms 20 between flanges 2l. Guide projections 31 are formed at theinner end of offset portions 30 for sliding engagement against the under face of laterally extending portion l1 on follower plate 9. In this way the latches 13 are retained in sliding engagement in the housing in sliding contact with bracket 26 and lips 22.

By manually operating handles 23 toward each other, finger portions 29 are withdrawn from openings 28 or other retaining devices on theside walls of the drawer, so that the follower construction may be freely moved longitudinally of the drawer. In this movement the track engaging sections of supporting and guide brackets 14 will be freely slidable on track members 7 and cooperate to prevent sticking or wabbling of the follower during movement. The spring 27V will project the latches to engage finger portions 29 in openings 28 after the follower has been adjusted to the desired position in the drawer and handles 23 released.

It will be noted that the supporting and guide brackets, the follower plate structure, and the latches with their associated parts, cooperate in providing afollower construction formed of sheet metal that is economical to manufacture and assemble, while changes may bemade in the structure. or relation of these parts without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a follower construction for drawers and ,y the like, the combination of a drawer having a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, said side walls having guide members provided along the upper edges and a series of retaining .elements below each of said guide members, a follower plate, spaced supporting and guide brackets attached to said follower plate and slidably embracing said guide members and supporting said followerV plate for longitudinal'movement in said drawer, and spring projectedlatch members carried by said follower plate and guide brackets for engagement with said retaining elements to normally retain said follower plate in an adjusted position against longitudinal movement.

2. In a follower construction for drawers and the like, the combination of a drawer having a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, said side walls having guide members provided along the upper edges and a series of retaining elements thereunder, a follower plate, supporting and guide brackets attached to said follower plate and slidably embracing said guide members for slidably mounting said follower plate in said drawer, spring projected latches for normally engaging opposite retaining elements to retain said follower plate against sliding movement, and means on said brackets and follower plate cooperating to slidably mount said latches.

3. In a follower construction for drawers and the like, the combination of a drawer having a bottom wall and side wallsA extending upwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, track members embracing the upper edges of said side walls and cooperating therewith to form guide members, a follower plate, supporting and guide brackets attached to said follower plate and slidably embracing said track members for slidably mounting said follower plate in said drawer, said side walls each having a series of retaining elements below said track members, and spring projected latches carried by said follower plate for normally engaging said retaining elements to retain said follower plate against sliding movement.

4. In a follower construction for drawers and the like, the combination of a drawer having a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relation, said side walls having offset upper edge portions, track members of sheet metal formed' to embrace said offset edge portions and coextensve therewith, said side walls each having a series of holes along the upper portions thereof adjacent said offset portions, a follower plate, supporting andguide brackets attached to said follower plate and slidably embracing said track membersY for slidably mountingsaid follower plate in said drawer, and spring projected latch members slidably carried by said follower plateand brackets normally engaging in opposite holes in said side walls to retain said-follower, plate against movement.

5. A follower construction; for illes, comprising a follower plate formed ofsheet metal having a flat body portion, and a laterally extending portion at one edge of said body portion terminating in a flange portion overlying said bodyportion in spaced parallel relation, a pair of Vsupporting and guide brackets each having a1 track-engaging section and a laterally extending arm extending between said flange portion and body portion of said; followerplate at onev end thereof and=se cured thereto, and spring projected latch mem.- bers mounted on said follower, plate between said body portion and said flange portion having ends extending through saidarms and normally projected,Y outwardly toward said track-engaging sections.

6. A follower construction'for files. comprising a follower plate formedof sheetmetal having a flat body portion, and a laterally extending portion at one edge of said body. portion terminating in a flange portion overlying said body portion. in spaced parallel relation, and apair of supporting and guidebrackets, each having an elongated track-engaging: section extending` transversely to the plane of said body portion beyond the ends thereof, and a laterally extending arm. extending between said body portion and flange portion adjacent said laterally extending portion and rigidly secured to said portions, said flange portion and laterally extending portions and said brackets Vcooperating to provide a substantially rigid mounting for said body portion.

7. A follower construction for files, comprising a follower plate formed of sheet metal having a flat body portion, and a laterally extending portion at one edge of said body portion terminating in a flange portion overlying said body portion in spaced parallel relation to form a housing, a pair of supporting and guide brackets, each having an elongated track-engaging section extending transversely to the plane of said body portion beyond the ends thereof, and a laterally extending arm on said section secured to said follower plate in said housing, a pair of latches mounted in said housing, each latch extending through one end thereof, and through the arm of one of said brackets, resilient means engaged between said latches for normally projecting them in opposite directions outwardly toward said track sections, said follower plate and said brackets having means for slidably retaining said latches in said housing.

8. A follower construction for files, comprising a follower plate formed of sheet metal having a fiat body portion, and a laterally extending portion at one edge of said body portion terminating in a flange portion overlying said body portion in spaced parallel relation to form a housing, a pair of supporting and guide brackets, each having an elongated track-engaging section extending transversely to the plane of said body portion beyond the ends thereof, and a laterally extending arm on said section secured to said follower plate in said housing, a pair of latches, each formed of a strip of metal having a lateral extension at one end forming a handle, said latches being slidably mounted in said housing in end to end relation with said handles in adjacent spaced relation and projecting through openings formed in said laterally extending portion, resilient means between said handles normally operative to project said latches apart in opposite directions, a bracket member on said body portion for retaining the adjacent ends of said latches and said resilient means in said housing, the opposite ends of said latches projecting through said arms and slidably retained thereby.

9. In a follower construction for files, a supporting and guide bracket therefor, comprising a n piece of sheet metal formed to provide a trackengaging section having an elongated central section and laterally extending flanges from the side edges thereof, one of said flanges terminating in an inturned lip, and a laterally extending arm on one of said fianges having laterally extending portions on the side edges thereof.

10. In a follower construction for files, a supporting and guide bracket therefor, comprising a piece of sheet metal formed to provide a trackengaging section having an elongated central section and laterally extending flanges from the side edges thereof, one of said flanges terminating in an inturned lip, anda laterally extending arm on one of said fianges having laterally extending portions on the side edges thereof, and a pair of supporting lips extending inwardly in opposed relation from the free edges of the laterally extending portions. v-

1l. In a device of, the class described, a latch comprising an elongated substantially rectangular strip of sheet metal having an elongated central portion, one endof said central portion being formed to provide an offset end portion parallel with said central portion and forming a latching finger, and the opposite end of said strip being formed with a portion offset in the same direction as the other offset end portion, and with a handle portion projecting laterally from the end of said last mentioned offset end portion in a direction opposite to the direction of the said offset portions.

12. In a device of the class described, a latch comprising a strip of sheet metal having an elongated central portion, a downwardly offset end portion formed to provide a latching finger, and the opposite end of said strip being formed from the center progressively outward with an upwardly extending offset projection, a downwardly exlll tending offset projection, and an upwardly projecting handle portion.

13. A follower construction for files, comprising a follower plate'having a housing on one margin thereof, a pair of brackets each having atrack '120 engaging section and a laterally projecting arm extending into said housing and secured thereto, and spring projected latch members mounted within said housing having ends extending through said arms'and normally projected out-.126 wardly beyond said housing and plate toward said track engaging sections.

'BENJAMIN G. RAND. 

